The little dumpling is five and a half years old, which made his father so angry that his head split

If you're simply hiking in the wild, you should rest more during the day and travel at night in this kind of terrain.

However, the poor lighting at night makes it impossible to search for medicinal herbs, so walking alone defeats the purpose of coming here.

So the only option was to travel during the day, but we had to avoid those few hours around noon.

The sun beat down mercilessly on the earth, offering no shade or cover; it was impossible to move, truly impossible.

I ate something simple and then rested.

It was warm at noon, so Li Tian and the others took off their shoes to air out the smell and stretch out.

Although I get a lot of exercise normally, I don't walk on mountain roads like this much.

My feet were already blistered after only a few hours of setting off.

Old Shen prepared a medicinal ointment.

I popped the blisters on them, applied some ointment, and it felt cool and refreshing, which made them feel much better.

You can simply wrap it with gauze and then put on the socks.

Even though Old Shen is in good health, he is still getting on in years, and he needs to rest before he has the energy to travel.

But Liu Wei was young and strong, and familiar with the wilderness.

He dozed off for half an hour, then opened his eyes to see that the others were sleeping soundly, but still shook Shen Yi awake.

Someone always has to stay vigilant.

Liu Wei whispered a few instructions and then left. He needed to find some food unique to the mountains to replenish everyone's strength.

Eating only dry biscuits and dried meat won't do.

Shen Yi didn't stay idle after waking up; he took out a medical book and read it for a while.

There's not much to gain at low altitudes; you have to climb to at least a thousand meters to find medicinal herbs like ginseng.

If precious medicinal herbs were so easy to find, they would probably be long gone in the wild.

When Li Muchen woke up, Li Tian was still asleep. After exchanging a few words with Shen Yi, he told him to sleep a little longer and that he would stay and watch over him.

Shen Yi didn't stand on ceremony; he needed to be well-rested so as not to hold anyone back.

I dream of flying over this barren, rocky mountain as soon as possible.

When Li Tian woke up, Liu Wei returned.

His hands were never idle, and he had a smile on his face.

"I found wild persimmons, and they're all ripe."

After saying that, he excitedly shook the cloth bag in his hand.

Upon hearing that there was fruit, Li Tian almost jumped for joy.

Almost there isn't one yet.

The reason I didn't jump was because my feet hurt and I didn't want them to touch the ground.

Liu Wei put the bag on the ground.

He first handed a red and soft persimmon to Old Shen.

Old Shen accepted it with a smile.

"You've worked so hard, you've worked so hard. With you here, we've suffered a lot less along the way."

"Persimmons are good, eat them all, they're good for your lungs."

Li Tian handed one to Liu Wei as she took it.

Liu Wei plopped down on the ground, and once he sat down, he really didn't want to get up again.

After spending several years in Beijing, I'm practically wasting my life.

I feel tired after walking just this short mountain path.

"Mr. Shen, is this edible? It looks like a fruit, but I don't recognize it."

The group ate persimmons and looked at the thing that looked like a "dead tree branch".

Old Shen picked it up, looked at it, and smelled it.

"This is Japanese raisin tree (Hovenia dulcis), a traditional plant used for both medicinal and edible purposes. Its fruit and stems have auxiliary effects such as relieving hangovers, protecting the liver, and promoting bowel movements."

"There's a shortage of vegetables right now, so we can eat some."

Li Tian picked up a branch and looked at it curiously.

It was the first time she had ever seen it either.

"Grandpa Shen, should we eat this directly?"

After finishing the persimmon in his hand, Old Shen demonstrated how to eat it.

"The skin is astringent, so you have to peel it before eating."

After peeling it, he handed it directly to Li Tian.

Li Tian was the youngest, and being a girl, everyone naturally wanted to take care of her.

Li Tian thanked him and put it in her mouth.

It must be naturally ripe; it's sweet.

Old Shen put his hand on his forehead and looked at the sun.

"Eat one more persimmon each, then it's time to get going."

Water is extremely scarce now, and everyone is quietly following orders and doing their jobs, but they are speaking less and less.

Save your saliva.

Dressed neatly, one person continued forward, carrying a sturdy bamboo pole.

The bamboo pole serves as both a hiking stick and a means for mutual support.

Everyone helped and cooperated with each other tacitly, and also silently supported and encouraged one another.

As the sun began to set, we arrived at a large, sheltered rock.

Old Shen decided to set up camp here.

"Xiao Liu, go and see if there's a water source nearby, or find some food."

"it is good."

Liu Wei didn't waste any time. He grabbed an entrenching tool, filled his empty water bottle with his bag, and left.

"The three of you eat a persimmon and then go find some firewood. Find as much as you can so you can build a fire to keep warm at night."

The three children were already sitting on the floor eating without being told.

I also drank a little bit of water.

But I didn't dare rest for long; once I sat down, I really didn't want to get up again.

Old Shen was also busy.

The pots and pans were taken out, and once the firewood arrived, a pot of porridge could be cooked.

When he takes the children out for training, his first priority is to ensure their safety and health.

After resting for a while, I took out the map again while I could still see it clearly to confirm the route.

Having a compass only ensures that you're going in the right direction, but if you go astray, you'll end up taking many unnecessary detours.

Fortunately, it was winter, and there were many dead branches in the bushes.

The three boys quickly returned each carrying a large handful.

"Tian Tian, ​​you stay and help Grandpa Shen cook. We'll go chop wood."

Li Muchen was reluctant to let Li Tian go with him again; one trip would suffice.

Shen Yi also supported it.

Li Tian did not try to be brave.

The two boys then walked away together.

Under Mr. Shen's direction, Li Tian moved some stones and built a stand for the pot.

Less water is used, saving the steps of washing the pot and rinsing the rice.

After the water boiled, I grabbed two handfuls of rice and threw them into the pot.

After being exposed to the sun for several hours, the large rock still retained its warmth, and Li Tian comfortably leaned against it.

"Grandpa, come closer, it's more comfortable."

Old Shen added some firewood and moved closer to the fire.

"Do you regret coming out?"

Li Tian nodded.

"I'm so tired, I've never been this tired before."

"This part of the journey is like this: there's little vegetation and not much fun. But once we enter the rainforest, there will be more beautiful plants and animals, and it won't feel so boring anymore."

Old Shen peeled a jujube and handed it to Li Tian.

"If you really can't hold on any longer, Liu Wei can take you back. It's not too late to turn back now."

Li Tian shook her head.

Although this journey was very arduous, if I give up now, I will never have the courage to come out again.

Human nature is greedy, lazy, and loves pleasure...

Therefore, many things need to be started from childhood. People who are used to being comfortable from a young age will find it very difficult to have great ambitions.

Old Shen smiled.

"Hang in there, Grandpa won't let you suffer for nothing. He'll definitely show you the most beautiful nature."

"Even this rocky mountain has its unique beauty if you look at it with an appreciative eye. Look at that rock over there, doesn't it look like a lion? And that one..."

Li Tian listened with a smile.

Upon closer inspection, the stone that Mr. Shen was pointing to really does resemble it.

Li Muchen and his companion went to gather firewood twice more before Old Shen told them they could stop.

They weren't allowed to sit down and rest immediately.

Although we found a campsite, we didn't set up camp yet.

We brought a tent; we'll have to use it eventually.

With large temperature differences between day and night, staying in a tent at least provides shelter from the wind and dew.

Li Tian had rested enough, so she got up to help.

More people, more effort.

We cannot place all the burdens on Liu Wei.

His ability to find water and food was the greatest achievement.